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01.11.2015Headliner at Eurovision Gala Night in Luxembourg

On 31st October 2015 Ruslana performed as headliner among several Eurovision stars at the 8th Eurovision Gala Night in Mondorf-les-Bains, Luxembourg, and held a conference with the local Ukrainian community.

The annual event organized by the Eurovision fan club OGAE is Luxembourg’s sort of own small Eurovision Song Contest as the country hasn’t participated in Europe’s favourite TV show since 1994. Sixteen contestants competed each representing a different country and performing a popular Eurovision hit. After the competition part a number Eurovision stars performed, including Baccara who represented Luxembourg, András Kalláy-Saunders from Hungary, Nadine Beiler from Austria, Sinplus from Switzerland, Sestre from Slovenia, and the 1964 winner for Italy, Gigliola Cinquetti.

When finally at 11.30 pm Ruslana and her Zhyttya dancers took off with Wild Dances countless yellow and blue flags were waved in the audience.

As headliner Ruslana had the by far the longest performance. After Wild Dances, The Same Star, Arkan and Dance With The Wolves she performed This Is Euphoria with images from Maidan shown on the huge screen behind the stage.

The people in the audience including the Deputy Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Etienne Schneider, showed their respect and support to Ruslana as an outstanding performer and an ambassador for her country with longlasting standing ovations.

Ruslana: The performance traditionally ended with the song “This is Euphoria.” During this on the big screen videos from Maidan were shown. After that, I kissed our flag and the entire audience stood up. I stressed how important their support is to us. I said that Ukraine still remains in danger.

When I said the word ‘Ukraine’ the whole hall reacted with frantic applause. I noticed the incredible sympathy for Ukraine. Even if politics can lose it, the Ukrainian society gained this sympathy forever, and we have to maintain this sympathy. The new Ukrainian society is a society in which certain words are not empty. Ukrainians actually breathe the air of free and independent people. In this way, Ukraine appears for Europeans the country of the future.

A panel of 16 international jury members cast their votes and also the audience could vote by making a donation. All funds collected were donated to the Red Cross. At the end of the voting procedure Dorothea Ferrari representing Ireland with the 1996 winning song The Voice was revealed as the winner.

Before the show Ruslana held a conference in front of the Ukrainian community asbl LUkraine.

She reported: The Ukrainians around the world, whom I meet when giving concerts in different country, give me an incredible energy and supportive belief that everything we do is not in vain.

Today was probably the most important meeting of the recent time. I allowed myself to speak in a very frank way. People reacted to my openness by also not keeping their experiences for themselves. I realized that my thoughts coincide with the opinions of the majority. We are actually all on the same wavelength, and all of us are concerned about the same things.